Tongue-switch.



PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908.

C. A. ALDEN.

TONGUE SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED o'r.2, 1907.

I TTORNEK- on RH WI TIIESSES THE NORRIS FETERS cm, WASHINGTBN, c c.

No. 890,323. I PATENTED JUNE 9, 1908. G. A. ALDEN. TONGUE SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED 0OT.2, 1 907.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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CHARLES A. ALDEN, OF STEELTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

TONGUE-SWITCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 9, 1908.

Application filed October 2, 1907. Serial No. 395,609.

T all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. ALDEN citizen of the United States, and resident of Steelton, Dauphin county, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tongue- Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch embodymg my invention. Fig. 2 is a similar View showing the switch in another position. Fig. 3 is a transverse section as on the line 3-3,

of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4*4, of 1. Fig. 5 is a section on the line 55, of Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1,

showing another form of my invention. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing another form of my invention. Fig. 8 is a section on the line 88, of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a section on the line 9 9, of Fig. 6. Fig. 10is a section on the line 101O of Fig. 6.

My invention relates to switches for railway rails in which a switch tongue is adjustably pivoted within a groove or between two rails, forming the switch section of a rail. Heretofore, in this class of switches, when the free end of the switch tongue was adjusted to a position against the rail for receiving the treads of the car wheels, the groove in which the tongue was located would receive a wagon wheel which, in passing from the wide to the narrow end of the gro ve, would become jammed therein.

he object of my present invention is to overcome this objection or to prevent the jamming of wagon wheels within the groove for the switch tongue.

The invention consists in the novel construction hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5':12 designates the switch section, said section being joined at one of its ends to a rail, 13, in the usual manner, and at the other of its ends to the two diverging rails, '14 and 15, leading from theswitc The section 12 comprises thebase 16 and the side walls or rails, 17 and 18, between which is formed a groove, 19, for the passage therethrough of the flanges of the car wheels;

the rail 17 being adapted to receive the treads of the wheels, as is common and well known. Resting upon the base, 16,, within the groove, 19, is the switch tongue, 20, piv oted at its larger end, as at 21, to the switch section, 12.

The switch tongue, 20, is adapted to be moved laterally on its pivot 21, to bring it against the side rail 18, to direct the car wheels to the tracks 13 and 14, or to bring it against the rail 17, to direct the car wheels to the tracks 13 and 15, as desired.

The switch tongue is provided with lateral projections 22, which extend toward the rail 18, and the rail 18 is provided with lateral projections, 23, which extend toward the switch tongue and alternate with the projections 22; whereby, when the tongue 20 is moved from side to side, the projections 22 will pass between the projections 23. Thus it will be seen that the projections 22 and 23 will prevent a wagon wheel from passing to the bottom of the groove 19 between the tongue 20 and rail 18, and becoming ainined therein as it moves from the wide end of the groove to the narrow end thereof.

The upper surface of the switch tongue 20 is flush with the upper surfaces of the rails; and the upper surfaces of the projections 22 and 23 are on a plane below the upper surface of the tongue 20, a distance equal to the depth of the flange of a car wheel, to permit said flange to pass over the projections in going to or from the rail 13.

The inner wall of the rail 18 is beveled, as shown, to assist in preventing the jamming of a wagon wheel within the groove.

In the form shown in Figs. 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10, the switch tongue 20 is provided with a longitudinal groove, 24, to receive the wheel flanges, and the projections 22 extending from the tongue 20 and the projections 23 extending from the rail 18 are flush with the upper surfaces of the tongue and rails; and, further, the projections 22 and 23 are formed by making the adjacent faces of the tongue 20 and rail 18" undulating or sinuous in form. The advantage of this construction is that the wagon wheels are not permitted to enter the groove 19 at all.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a tongue switch, the side rails be- 5 tween which is formed the tongue groove and the interposed tongue, said tongue and one of said rails having interprojecting parts.

2. In a tongue switch, the side rails between which is formed the tongue groove and the interposed tongue, said tongue and 10 one of said rails having interprojecting, undulating parts.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto afliXed my signature.

CHARLES A. ALDEN. Witnesses:

BENT. L. WEAVER, WM. R. MILLER. 

